Carnivores historically had an impact on man by preying upon domestic livestock. This predation caused more problems and controversy for man than any other conflicts with wildlife. Gray wolves (Canis lupus) and bears (Ursus spp.) were the major carnivores that preyed upon domestic livestock in Europe and Asia. During early settlement of North America, gray wolves, red wolves (Canis rufus), grizzly bears (Ursus arctos), black bears (Ursus americanus), and mountain lions (Felis concolor) were the major predators of domestic live-stock. Today, with the removal of large predators from exten-sive areas, coyotes (Canis latrans) are the major predator of livestock in North America. Dogs and red foxes (Vulpes vulpes), mountain lions, black bears, grizzly bears, gray wolves, and bobcats (Lynx rufus) also prey on domestic live-stock, but their predation is secondary to that of coyotes. All of the above carnivores have been controlled extensively because of their predation on livestock.
I discuss the extent of carnivore predation on domestic livestock, review past and current control methods, examine the impact of control on predator populations, behavior, and ecology, review public attitudes toward predator control, dis-cuss when and how control should be implemented, and speculate on the future of techniques for prevention and con-trol of predation on livestock. Coyote predation on livestock is emphasized because it causes the majority of conflicts (National Agricultural Statistics Service 1991) and has been researched most intensively. The effect of predation on the population dynamics of ungulates, lagomorphs, and rodents has been reviewed by other authors (Keith 1974, Connolly 1978, Mech 1984, Newsome 1990) and is not discussed here.